The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-10
UNIVERSAL VICTORY.

Cno new Testament reveals, Is TO see
clearly that ultimately all mankind are
to render willing and loving service to
him. Too many take too low view of
the triumph he is to achieve. They
enormously conclude that any sort Of
conquering he accomplishes any kind
of subjugation he effects, will be wor-
thy of his efforts, will fulfill his ambi-
ton, and satisfy him. But such an
opinion is not true, for such conquest
is far below the triumphs on which his
| heart is set.
What is his purpose ? What is the
aim of the Son of Man ? Will not all
Christians agree that whatever the re-
suit may be, the purpose is to overcome
all opposition, allay all rebellion, con-
vert all from error, and bring all into
accord with the principles of eternal
truth and righteousness Suppose he
were strong and wise enough to bring a
portion of that great race for which he
gave himself under the sway of his
truth, and were able to drive the rest
into vast Gehenna, and stand with his
foot on the lid of torment, and keep re-
fractory millions writhing in agony for
ever and forever. Of course, certain
amount of wisdom and power is requisite
to accomplish such result, and no doubt
it is triumph of a certain sort to be able
thus to overcome opposition. But such
a conquest is of low order, and as it
is not the kind of triumph be contem-
plates, becomes a failure, when COM
pared with that at which he aims. Who
can fail to see that it would be far
higher victory to subdue all rebellious
wills, to convert all obdurate hearts, to
transform all enemies into friends +?
That man does not conquer his foe in the
highest sense, who knocks him down,
or kills him, or even frightens him into
abstention from overt acts of hostility,
while his heart remains full of hatred !;
but the real conqueror among men is
the man who disarms his enemy by
wise and generous conduct, who charms
all hostility out of his heart, who trans
forms him into a friend. And Jesus
can only subdue mankind to his will, in
the highest sense, by accomplishing the
victory he seeks to win, that is, by Sc
curing the willing obedience of all for
whom he lived and died. He can be a
universal conqueror in the highest sense
only by winning all to himself. He is said
to draw all men. His cross is not the
handle of a windlass, that will force re-
luctant souls into an involuntary pris-
OMIT is magnet, whose celestial in
fuence is to attract willing universe.
Among the obvious teachings of the
New Testament, so long overlooked,
even yet ignored by thousands, is this !:
All human beings are one day to be in
precisely the same disposition and atti-
tude toward Christ, that Christ is to-
ward God. When he shall have fully
performed his mission-when his work
shall have been completed, every con-
quered soul will be in the same sort of
subsection to Christ, that Christ is to
God. This is the explicit teaching of
the apostle. Heb. ii. SO. "Thou hast
put all things in subsection under his
feet. For in that he put all in subjec-
ton under him, he left nothing that is
not put under him. But now we see
not yet all things put under him. But
we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels, for the suffering
of death, crowned with glory and honor,
that he by the grace of God should taste
death for every man." And this sub
lection he fully defined. / Cor. XIV. %.
"And when all things shall be subdued
(hupotage) unto him, then shall the Son
also himself be subject (hupotagesetai),
unto him that put all things under
(hupotasatnoi) him, that God may be all
in ALL" Here the reader will perceive
that sinners are to be subject to Jesus
exactly as Jesus is subject to God. 1t
is the same word in reference to both.
How absurd then to represent the gen.
tie Son of Man, who is also the mighty
Son of God, as standing like barba-
rous heather warrior, with his foot on
the neck of rebellious sinners-no less
rebellious and really unconquered than
when, with hearts resisting, and wills
in opposition to the sway of the divine,
they are only crushed under the weight
of power, but without one emotion of
conformity to the Divine wilt
Besides, if one carefully inspects the
original of the last clause of Paul's
words, he will see that this is the only
possible subsection admissible, shat
God may be all in all. The Greek is
panta en- pdsin. The literal rendering
is, "All things in all men," Suppose
we give an exact rendering of the en-
tire passage: "For he Christi put all
things in subsection under his feet.
But when he says, All things are sub
iected, it is evident that he is excepted
who subjected all things to him. And
when all things have been subjected to
him, then also the Son himself shall be
subjected to him who subjected all
things to him, that God may be all